RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           CC: RAD Information Net

CC: RAD Information Met

Day/date:  Wednesday, July 19, 1989

INCIDENTS

89-190 - Channel Islands - Three Diving Accidents

On July 1st, C.L., 34, of Ontario, California, was diving from the
vessel "Sea Ventures" off Anacapa Island when he suffered from decompression
sickness. Lockwood was transported via Coast Guard helicopter to the
hyperbaric chamber at Los Robles Hospital, and is now recovering from severe
brain stem and cerebral damage. On the 9th, J.W., 21, of La Canada,
California, was diving from the vessel "Scuba Luver" near Yellowbanks off
Santa Cruz Island when he was stricken with an air embolism to the brain
while ascending to the surface. Two park rangers responded to the scene to
administer first aid and evacuate the patient by Coast Guard helicopter to
the chamber at Los Robles. J.W. spent seven hours in the chamber, and has
now recovered fully. On the 13th, R.M. and S.G., ages
and addresses unknown, were diving from the "Vision" near Santa Cruz Island.
Although it is not yet clear what happened to them, both were stricken while
diving and had to be transported - R.M. by a Navy helicopter and
S.G. by a Coast Guard helicopter - to Los Robles. S.G. recovered from
decompression sickness, but R.M. died the following day. The exact
cause of death has not yet been determined. (C. Davidson, CHIS, via
CompuServe messages to RAD/WRO and RAD/WASO).

FIRE ACTIVITY

1) FIRE SITUATION

Planning Level III.

2) FIRE SUMMARY

State  Agency       Area                  Fire              Acres   Contain

AZ     NPS      Grand Canyon NP           Muav - T1         1,750     Yes

NM     USFS     Cibola NF                *Chicken - T2        400     None

CO     NPS      Mesa Verde NP             Long Mesa - T2    3,075     7/19
       BLM      Grand Junction            Gateway - T2        225     Yes
       BLM      Craig                     Burnt Out         3,000     None

UT     USFS     Dixie NF                  Uinta Flat - T1   7,850     7/19
       USFS     Dixie NF                  Sandy Peak - T2     850     7/20
       BLM      Moab                      Rattlesnake - T2  2,200     None

NV     BLM      Ely                       Delmue - T2       6,700     7/18

Canada Yukon       -                      Dawson Fire 20    6,500     None

NOTES:

- Agencies - All BLM areas are districts; CDF is California Department of
  Forestry.
- Fires - Asterisk indicates new fire.
- Areas - T1 and T2 indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
- Contain - Containment dates are estimates; "none" means no estimate;
  "yes" means the fire has been contained.

3) SIGNIFICANT FIRES

a) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

* Long Mesa - Mesa Verde:

The staff on the fire lines was tripled to 260 on Monday, and plans
were being made to set up a depot in the park to load fire-retardant
chemicals on the three helicopters working the fire. The helicopters
have had to shuttle to Durango or Grand Junction to do this until now.
The fire is 85 percent contained, and there are about 3 1/2 miles of
line left to build.

b) OTHER AGENCIES

* Burnt Out Fire - Craig District, BLM:

Poor access, rugged terrain and extreme fire behavior are creating
control problems.

* Sandy Peak Fire - Dixie NF:

Steep terrain, low fuel moisture and high temperatures are making
control of the fire difficult.

4) FIRE ACTIVITY - 150 fires for 5,522 acres in last 24 hours.

5) ANALYSIS - Windy conditions, high temperatures and low fuel moistures
continue to hamper control efforts. Big Bend NP and New Mexico have
reported several new starts from thunderstorms which passed through the
area over the last two days.

6) PROGNOSIS - Activity is expected to increase due to forecasted high
temperatures and thunderstorms over the West. No resource shortages
are anticipated.

7) NOTES - An analysis of the balance of the fire season has been prepared
by Jack Wilson, the Director of the Boise Interagency Fire Center, which
states the following: "While in general the agencies of the Department of
Interior have had a slightly below average season to date in terms of
severe and costly fires, the potential for the rest of the year is great,
and the source of considerable apprehension....The situation is
fundamentally worse than last year." The report cites several key
indicators in support of this statement:

- The Palmer Drought Index - The index continues to show widespread
drought in all of Arizona and Utah, most of California, Nevada and
Wyoming, southeastern Montana, western New Mexico and Colorado, and
parts of Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota and Florida.

- Weather forecasts - The six-to-ten day forecast calls for hot and dry
weather through most of the west, except Arizona and New Mexico. Both
the thirty- and ninety-day forecasts indicate no probable change in
this pattern.

- Fuels - Although there was a generally normal to above normal snow pack
in most Western states and ample moisture in March, there have been
only surface benefits to fuel conditions because of the prolonged
drought in most areas. Deep-rooted species did not gain much, and this
fact is now reflected in 1000-hour fuel moisture readings. Many fuels
in the West are therefore much drier than normal and subject to more
rapid spreading and hotter burning.

(NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0530 MDT, 7/19/89; report on Long Mesa Fire
from Associated Press report).

STAFF STATUS

Ringgold and Loach on AL; Steve Hodapp is the acting chief, Branch of R&VP.

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: FTS 343-4874/6039 or 202-343-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 343-5977 or 202-343-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER